Entering the first quarter of the Road to Olympia competition with the second highest weekly and monthly achievements, Tran Trung Kien excellently surpassed 3 contestants in the first quarter competition with 235 points, becoming the first person to win a ticket to the yearly finals and bringing the television broadcast of the final match of this competition to Phu Yen.

Desire to conquer Mount Olympia since elementary school

Since primary school, Kien has loved watching Road to Olympia, admiring the contestants with extensive knowledge. Kien hopes to one day set foot on the Road to Olympia stage. His desire grew day by day, at the beginning of secondary school, Kien prepared a solid foundation of knowledge, ready to realize his dream.

Still moved, Kien's mother, Tran Thi Bich Loan (48 years old) shared: "Since he was little, Kien told my husband and I that when he grew up, he would compete in the Road to Olympia. At that time, Kien was still very young but was very determined with his dream and focused on studying. Seeing that, the family was very supportive and decided to accompany him on the journey to realize his dream."

Preparing carefully for the competition, Kien often studied until he forgot the time. After class, Kien found an empty classroom and studied until evening, sometimes falling asleep. With the spirit of self-study and the enthusiastic support of teachers at school, with a solid foundation of knowledge, Kien confidently conquered the Olympia peak.

In September 2023, Road to Olympia released the registration form, Kien decided to submit his application to participate in the second filming session. After 1 month of submitting his application, Kien received an interview and was notified by the program that he had passed, becoming a contestant of Road to Olympia.

Two runner-up finishes and the story of player Messi

Kien took part in the second week's exam and came in second with 260 points. At this time, the male student from Phu Yen still has to wait for the results of the third week's exam to determine the highest runner-up, to determine the remaining ticket for the monthly exam.

"I tried my best in the weekly exam, I felt quite disappointed at that time. Olympia was my dream, the companionship and expectation of my family and teachers, I didn't want to disappoint everyone. I had to wait for the results of week 3 to determine whether the highest second place ticket belonged to me or not. Luckily, the ticket to the monthly exam belonged to me," Kien recounted.

Entering the third monthly round, Kien continued to finish second with the highest score of 165 points and won a ticket to the first quarter competition. Having finished second twice, Kien shared: "I really admire the Argentine football team player Messi. Coming second twice in a row is a bit of a loss, but I think failure will make me stronger. Like Messi, in 2014, on the threshold of winning the World Cup, he finished second; in 2015, in the Copa America final, he finished second again. Then in two consecutive years 2021, 2022, Messi won the Copa America and the World Cup. This story motivates me to win the first quarter competition and further, the yearly final."

Before his son's first quarter victory and the first time bringing the live broadcast of the Road to Olympia final to Phu Yen, Mr. Tran Trung Luu (50 years old, Kien's father) choked with joy: "It's really beyond imagination, I don't know how to describe this feeling. I really hope Kien gets the highest result but also know that my son is in a district school, of course he will have more limitations than his friends. The remaining contestants are very good. Kien won, I think partly thanks to luck".

Talking about her student, Ms. Tran Thi Le Thuy, Principal of Le Hong Phong High School (Tay Hoa District, Phu Yen), could not hide her joy: "Kien is a very studious, obedient and very modest student. Excellently winning a ticket to the final round of the year, Kien became the first person to bring the Road to Olympia television bridge to his home province. This is an honor and pride for Le Hong Phong High School in particular and Phu Yen province in general."

"To best prepare for the final, the school has set up a committee to support Kien with knowledge at any time. From now until the final is quite a long time, I hope Kien will maintain a clear mind and the best health. Entering the final of Road to Olympia, no matter what the result is, Kien will still be the pride of Phu Yen," said Ms. Thuy.